Turkish justice minister appeals release of Pope John Paul II gunman News
Turkish justice minister appeals release of Pope John Paul II gunman

[JURIST] Turkish Justice Minister Cemil Cicek requested Tuesday that a court return Mehmet Ali Agca [Wikipedia profile], the man who shot Pope John Paul II [official website; JURIST news archive], to prison for at least 11 more months. Agca had escaped from prison where he was serving a 36-year sentence for murdering Turkish journalist Abdi Ipekci [profile] when he shot the Pope in 1981. Cicek argued that he should have served the full 10 years remaining of the sentence when Agca was returned to Turkish prison on June 14, 2000 and that the time he served in Italy should not have been deducted from his sentence. He further argued that even if the court deducted his time in Italy, at least 11 months remain that Agca should serve in Turkey. AP has more.

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THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.